Tuesday 26 August 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

The deadlock between govt, PTI continues

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The fourth phase of negotiations between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took place on Tuesday but ended with the deadlock intact. Both parties, however, agreed to continue the dialogue process and the fifth phase will begin tomorrow (Wednesday), Dunya News reported.The restoration of the dialogue process led to the fourth phase. PTI’s negotiation committee comprises Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Javed Hashmi, Asad Umar, Pervaiz Khattak, Jehangir Tareen and Arif Alvi whereas the government’s negotiation committee comprises Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rasheed, Abdul Qadir Baloch and Zahid Hamid.Khawaja Saad Rafique and Ishaq Dar filled in because Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar was absent in the process.PTI’s negotiation committee submitted that independent investigation without Prime Minister’s resignation is not possible because Prime Minister can influence the process.The government committee responded by saying that the government comprehends the demand of Prime Minister’s resignation as ‘minus one formula’ adding that it will have adverse effects on country’s economy and the political crisis will worsen.Addressing the media, PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the position remains the same as the one was after third phase of negotiations.He said that both parties have agreed to continue the dialogue and the fifth phase will begin tomorrow.Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that Shah Mehmood Qureshi has accurately described the current situation adding that the deadlock is still intact.He expressed determination adding that the committees meet again on Wednesday hoping to find a solution.He said the government has expressed its consent to work on PTI’s five demands adding that the deadlock is over the demand of Prime Minister’s resignation.

Institutions should prepare reports without influence: Fazlur Rehman

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ISLAMABAD (Dunay News) — Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman conducted a meeting with Muttahida Qaumi movement (MQM) delegate on Tuesday, Dunya News reported.In the meeting, the solution to country’s current political situation was contemplated.On the other hand, JUI-F leader, while talking to media, said that the trends to derail democracy should be curbed, whereas, MQM leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that if our efforts to save democracy are not succeeded then the nation will have to bear severe crisis.Fazlur Rehman further said that the participants of ‘Azadi’ and ‘Inqilab’ marches recorded their protests against the government for the sake of their own interests but their protest doesn’t mean that this government will be ousted to eventually hand all the power to the protesting leaders.In the pretext of judicial commission’s report over Model Town tragedy, Moulana said that the institutions should bring the report into light in open environment and the individuals should avoid staging protests before studying the results of judicial commission report.On the other hand MQM senior leader Maqbool Siddiqui said that Pakistan is facing severe political crisis in its history. The stakeholders should not be allowed to derail the entire government setup.“MQM is trying to conduct fruitful negotiations with the protesting parties. The government should give more input in the negotiation process”, he said.

Sit-in to continue until PM's resignation: Imran Khan

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan said on Tuesday that independent investigation of 2013 election rigging is not possible under premiership of Nawaz Sharif, adding that the sit-in will continue until Nawaz Sharif resigns, Dunya News reported.Addressing ‘Azadi March’ participants, Khan said that Nawaz Sharif’s ‘monarchy’ is losing people’s confidence and that the people of Pakistan have given their verdict. He said the instances of rigging are emerging from every constituency now.PTI chief appealed the judges to play role in the matter of claims made by former Additional Secretary of Election Commission Afzal Khan.He said that the ‘new Pakistan’ will be an ‘Islamic welfare state’ and that three sectors will be given special concentration. Among those three concentrated sectors, first one is increment of pay scales for teachers and training and pay raise for the police.“We want equality of laws for everyone in Pakistan”, he said.Imran Khan alleged that Geo/Jang group chief Mir Shakilur Rehman has caused the country irreparable loss, adding that Shakilur Rehman sells his conscience for money.He told the cheering crowd that the Lahore High Court has dismissed Punjab government’s petition to vacate session court’s verdict calling to book Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif for Model Town tragedy.He said a case will now be registered against Shahbaz Sharif. He demanded the government to place Shahbaz Sharif’s name in the Exit Control List (ECL) to render him unable to fly abroad.

PTI is demanding PM's resignation without evidence: Saad Rafique

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal Minister for Railways Kawaja Saad Rafique ‎said that negotiations are ongoing with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) but the ‎demand for Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s resignation is unacceptable ‎without evidence.Rafique pointed out that the anti-state critics should note the impartial ‎proceedings of institution, which are giving verdicts against the ruling ‎government. He added that the government is trying to find a lawful solution ‎to the problem, as the dialogue continues.

US woman, 98, fights to expunge Soviet spying conviction

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NEW YORK (AFP) - A 98-year-old US woman who was convicted in 1950 for involvement in an explosive Soviet spying case wants a federal court to finally clear her name, citing new evidence.Miriam Moskowitz spent two years languishing in jail for conspiring to obstruct justice in a case linked to the trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of delivering nuclear military secrets to the Soviet Union and executed in 1953.Moskowitz appeared in Manhattan Federal Court on Monday with her lawyer attempting to bring the case back to the docket and get the conviction thrown out.By this petition, the court has the opportunity to correct a miscarriage of justice from the McCarthy era, of which Ms Moskowitz is perhaps the last living victim, her attorney Guy Eddon said in court documents.McCarthyism refers to allegations of treason or subversion without proof, and was coined after former US senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts from the late 1940s to the 1950s.Moskowitz, her boss Abraham Brothman and another man named Harry Gold were convicted for conspiring to lie to a grand jury.Gold had at first testified that Moskowitz knew nothing about the matter, but when threatened with the death penalty changed his story at the trial.According to Moskowitz's lawyer, evidence had emerged since the 1950 conviction showing that a fundamental error had occurred.He said that government records held critical and exculpatory evidence that had been kept from the defense for 60 years.The documents were declassified in 2008 and contained record of Gold's contradictory statements to the FBI. The grand jury minutes as well as the FBI's own reports, which under less antiquated laws would have been produced to the defense, reveal that Harry Gold lied at trial, the petition said.It added that Ms Moskowitz continues to suffer legal consequences from her conviction and had lived a lifetime in the shadow of her felony conviction.This contributed to her failure to marry and have children, as well as financial difficulties and social stigmatization, it said.

European stocks firm on 2nd day of week

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LONDON (AFP) - Europe's main stock markets firmed on Tuesday, continuing a rally sparked by dovish comments from the head of the ECB last week ahead of the announcement of France's new government.In Paris the CAC 40 jumped 1.18 percent to 4,393.41 points, just hours before the expected announcement of a new government.Frankfurt's main DAX index added 0.82 percent to close at 9,588.15 points. In London, the FTSE 100 index gained 0.70 percent compared to Friday's close after a public holiday, ending on 6,822.76 points.Global markets extended gains on a combination of bullish US data and expectations of looser ECB policy saw stock indices on both sides of the Atlantic edge higher, said Kash Kamal at Sucden Financial.The risk on mood was supported by stronger than anticipated data coming out of the US today with durable goods orders, consumer confidence and the Richmond Fed manufacturing index all exceeding estimates.Tuesday's gains added to a rally sparked last week by signs the European Central Bank is considering injecting cash into the eurozone economy to ward off any threat of deflation.That optimism overcame fears that the collapse of France's government on Monday could weigh on already stalling growth in the eurozone's second-largest economy. Sentiment was also bolstered by weekend comments from US Federal Reserve head Janet Yellen on the bank's monetary policy.That helped to support US stocks, with the S&P 500 pushing back over 2,000 in early trade supported by data showing record durable goods orders in July, and continued house price gains. In mid-afternoon trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.31 percent to 17,130.44 points and the tech-rich Nasdaq added 0.29 percent to 4,570.50 points.The S&P 500 rose 0.26 percent to 2,003.03 points.- Markets await French reshuffle -In Paris, President Francois Hollande was set to unveil a new cabinet after the shock resignation of the government amid a row over economic policy plunged the country into deep crisis.The reshuffle was seen as a bid to restore political order after a public row in his cabinet over how to cure the eurozone's ailing second-largest economy.Analysts at Societe Generale said the move would likely help reduce policy uncertainty at the domestic level but predicted that the French economy will underperform the euro area.We think this represents a welcome clarification of the economic strategy, but increases the risk of a political crisis, added Barclays' Philippe Gudin.Markets instead drew strength from ECB signals that it could start possible quantitative easing in a bid to stoke growth and ward off deflation.The possibility of quantitative easing in the eurozone continued to be supportive of prices, said Jasper Lawler, a market analyst at CMC Markets.- WPP gains -In corporate news, shares in marketing giant WPP added 1.39 percent after it reported broad revenue growth across its business, even eeking out some gains in Russia despite political tensions over the Ukraine crisis. Drugmaker AstraZeneca rose 1.12 percent as speculators bet that US firm Pfizer could come back with an increased offer for the company after a three-month cooling-off period ended, said Tony Cross at Trustnet Direct.Sentiment was also bolstered by weekend comments from Fed chief Yellen on the bank's monetary policy that there is considerable uncertainty about the level of employment. Traders interpreted her remarks as indicating the Fed might raise interest rates sooner than had been expected.In foreign exchange trading, the European single currency slipped to $1.3191 from $1.3193 late in New York on Monday.Against sterling, the euro inched up to 79.61 pence from 79.57 pence, while the pound dipped to $1.6569 from $1.6579.The Swiss franc rose to 1.2090 to the euro having reached 1.2071 on Monday, the highest level since January 2013.The franc gained against the dollar to 91.64.The price of gold climbed to $1,286 an ounce, from $1,277.25 on Friday on the London Bullion Market.

Football: Bayern agree deal with Roma for Benatia

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BERLIN (AFP) - German champions Bayern Munich on Tuesday announced an agreement with Serie A side Roma for a deal to take Moroccan international defender Mehdi Benatia to the Allianz Arena.Bayern said that the two clubs have agreed not to disclose the fee for the 27-year-old French-born centre-back, although Italian media reports on Tuesday estimated that Roma will receive around 30 million euros.The Bundesliga giants had been searching for defensive reinforcements after losing Javi Martinez until the end of the calendar year when he suffered a serious knee injury in the recent defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the German SuperCup.In addition, Brazilian right-back Rafinha is out with an ankle injury and Bayern are also having to deal with the absences of Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Benatia, who started his career in the lower leagues in France before flourishing in Serie A with Udinese and then Roma, is expected to have a medical in Bavaria in the coming days before signing a five-year contract, Bayern said.He joined Roma last year from Udinese on a contract through to 2018.Bayern began the new Bundesliga season with a 2-1 win against Wolfsburg last Friday. They travel to Schalke this coming Saturday evening.

Israel accepts Egyptian cease-fire to end Gaza war

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JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli official says Israel has accepted an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire plan to end a seven-week war against Islamic militants in the Gaza Strip.The official said Tuesday that Israel responded positively to Egypts call for an open-ended cease-fire.The Israeli official said Israel would ease its blockade of Gaza to allow humanitarian and construction materials to enter the war-battered territory.He said indirect talks on more substantial issues would begin in Cairo within a month. Issues are expected to include Hamas demand for an end to the blockade and Israels calls for Hamas to disarm.The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue with journalists.

Ukranian currency slides to new low as tensions spike

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KIEV (AFP) - The Ukrainian currency slid to a new record low on Tuesday as tensions soared between Kiev and Moscow over the four-month conflict in the east.The hryvnia hit an all-time low of 13.65 to the dollar, according to the National Bank of Ukraine, a slide of around 40 percent this year.Against the euro it was at 18.03, the bank said.In a bid to shore up the ailing currency, the bank last week ordered Ukrainian companies to sell all of their foreign currency income on the domestic market, from 50 percent previously.Despite these measures, the hryvnia continues to decline, the bank said in a statement.The countrys economy is on the brink of collapse after being mired in recession for more than two years.Its weak growth has also been hit by Kievs military campaign in the east, where it is struggling to overcome a separatist uprising by pro-Moscow rebels.Fitch rating agency on Friday downgraded its sovereign credit rating by one notch to CCC, taking it closer to default.Ukraines economy minister also resigned last week in the face of feuding within the government on how to turn around the countrys finances.The International Monetary Fund has warned Ukraines economy could shrink by 6.5 percent this year, and has agreed to provide $17 billion (13 billion euros) of aid in several instalments to help Kiev through the crisis.

Cricket: Pakistan cancels T20 league

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KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan cricket authorities were Tuesday forced to cancel their ambitious Twenty20 league project due a lack of time to schedule the tournament ahead of the World Cup, leaving question marks over its future.Pakistan Cricket Board had planned to hold the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the United Arab Emirates in January next year based on the lines of the lucrative Indian Premier League and Australias Big Bash in an attempt to recoup huge financial losses.The losses were incurred after Pakistan failed to stage any international cricket following a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009.The PCB said time constraints ahead of next years World Cup -- in Australia and New Zealand in February-March -- forced the decision.The PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan met the bidders of the PSL and explained them as to why it had become extremely difficult to organise the PSL and among the reasons behind taking this decision was the paucity of lead time, said a PCB release.Khan said the board was committed to holding the event in the future, it added.The PCB last year said it had expected to raise $100 million from the T20 league.Former players had also criticised the ambitious project, saying it was not possible for the PCB to stage such an event with top players busy in international cricket and would demand a huge amount of money from the PCB.

Cricket: Bangladesh to lift Shakib ban

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DHAKA (AFP) - Bangladesh cricket authorities said Tuesday they would lift the ban on Shakib Al Hasan from September 15 after the star all-rounder begged for a review of his six-month suspension for bad behaviour.Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Nazmul Hassan made the announcement after a board meeting in Dhaka, saying Shakib had repented.Weve seen some positive things in Shakibs attitude since the ban was imposed. Were also satisfied at his letter that he gave to us (appealing for a review). We believe he has realised his mistakes, Hassan said.Weve decided to lift his ban from September 15. He will now be available for selection for the Asian Games, Zimbabwe series and the domestic league, he said, adding the ban on Shakib appearing in foreign leagues would however continue until December 31.Bangladesh host fellow minnows Zimbabwe for a month-long Test and limited over series from October.Without Shakib, who this month led the International Cricket Councils top all-rounders list, Bangladesh lost all-three one-day international matches against the West Indies in the Caribbean including a humiliating 70-run score in the second ODI.Shakib, the countrys most popular sportsman, vowed last month that he would behave in a more mature way in an passionate public plea after the BCB on July 7 imposed the ban because of his severe attitude problem.Nothing can be more painful than staying away from cricket, Shakib, the worlds leading all-rounder, said last month in his first comments since the ban.Shakib, who has a history of discipline problems, was also barred from playing in any cricket leagues abroad until December next year -- even after his ban on international cricket expires.The suspension came after he reportedly threatened to quit international cricket when he was called back to Dhaka before his planned appearance in the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 tournament.Shakib was travelling to the Caribbean without any clearance from the BCB. He had also misbehaved with the new national coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, Hassan had said without giving any details.Shakib was banned for three matches in February for an indecent gesture to local fans, a suspension that kept him out of key Asia Cup matches.In June Shakib beat up a spectator who reportedly used abusive language against the players wife during an Bangladesh-India match.The left-hander has played 34 Tests, scoring 2,278 runs with a batting average of 37.96 and taken 122 wickets, the countrys highest.He has played 134 one-day internationals scoring 3,835 runs and taking 171 wickets.

UN backs military action against DR Congo rebels

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Tuesday backed joint military action by the UN force in the Democratic Republic of Congo and government troops against former Hutu rebels who refuse to surrender.In a unanimous statement, the 14-member council said flushing out the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu militia that includes perpetrators of the 1994 genocide of Tutsis, was a top priority in bringing stability to the region.The council encouraged the DRC government, in coordination with MONUSCO, to actively pursue military action against those leaders and members of the FDLR who do not engage in a demobilization process or who continue to carry out human rights abuses.The 20,000-strong UN force known as MONUSCO has been operating in the DR Congo for 20 years.FDLR factions were last month given a six-month deadline to disarm, but UN officials have accused rebel leaders of stalling.Only 200 fighters have agreed to lay down their arms out of 1,500 combatants, according to UN officials.UN mission chief Martin Kobler had asked the council earlier this month for approval of joint military operations against FDLR factions that are not willing to disarm.The council expressed concern that the militia is continuing to recruit combatants, including children, and stressed the importance of disarming and ending the threat caused by this illegal armed group.Disarming the FDLR took on added urgency following the defeat of the mainly Tutsi M23 rebels in the eastern DR Congo late last year.UN officials see the recent disarming of rebel groups as crucial progress after two decades of conflict in the eastern DR Congo, many of which have spilled over the Rwandan genocide and are fueled by the lucrative trade in minerals.The statement from the UN Security Council followed a visit last week to the region by Said Djinnit, the Algerian diplomat recently named to replace Mary Robinson as special envoy to the Great Lakes.

India anti-trust watchdog fines 14 automakers

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Indias anti-trust watchdog has fined 14 automakers a total of $420 million for restricting competition in the spare parts market and driving up prices, a official said Tuesday, a few days after Chinese regulators took similar action.The Competition Commission of India found domestic automakers and local units of global vehicle manufacturers guilty of anti-competitive conduct by curbing the number of spare parts and ordered them to immediately cease-and-desist.The commission said in a hefty 215-page report the automakers actions had made parts unnecessarily costly for around 20 million Indian consumers. Mark-ups on some parts were as high as 4,800 percent.The body added some automakers behaved responsibly towards consumers in Western markets but failed to replicate such practices in India, which made their actions even more deplorable.With Indias car market now the worlds sixth-largest, tighter regulation is a sign it is maturing, Deepesh Rathore, director of Delhi-based consultancy Emerging Markets Automotive Advisors, told AFP.Among the global companies fined were Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford and General Motors.Local companies fined included Maruti Suzuki, Hindustan Motors and Indias leading vehicle maker, Tata Motors, whose domestic operations are struggling.Tata Motors, which was slapped with the biggest fine of 13.46 billion rupees ($223 million), said it would appeal.- Spare parts under scrutiny -Last week China fined 10 Japanese auto parts firms a total of more than $201 million for price-fixing, reportedly the biggest-ever such sum, as part of an anti-monopoly drive.Given the regulatory scrutiny automakers spare parts and service practices are receiving globally, its likely more automakers will start offering spare parts over the counter, said Anil Sharma, analyst at global consultancy IHS.The Indian fines come as other domestic market regulators crack down on suspect practices amid public anger over what is perceived as a climate of widespread corruption.Right-wing Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in May on a platform of eradicating corruption.The competition commission opened its investigation after learning about a spare parts shortage in India.The 14 car companies were found to be indulging in practices resulting in denial of market access to independent repairers and not providing them with branded spare parts, the commission said.The fines total 25.5 billion rupees ($420 million), said a commission official, who asked not to be named, and represent two percent of the companys annual revenue over three years.The report contained statements by the carmakers that they considered their service network adequate to handle all after-market service and spare parts of car owners.The report also lamented the lack of an appropriate legislative and regulatory framework for vehicle safety in India, which records some 100,000 deaths a year due to road accidents, according to World Health Organization data.Indian traffic fatalities have soared amid a surge in the number of vehicles and bad roads while safety standards for cars and trucks made for the domestic market often lag far behind those made for Western markets.

India, Pakistan agree to lessen LOC strain: ISPR

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RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) – Director General (DG) Operations from both countries, Pakistan and India while talking via the hotline, mutually agreed to lessen the present strain on the working boundary ‎and the Line of Control (LOC) between the two countries, Inter-Services Public ‎Relations (ISPR) stated.‎Recently, Indian bombardment martyred five people and injured 17 people. ‎Due to such terrible conditions, people were forced to migrate from their ‎dwelling, ISPR added.‎Meanwhile, prior to this conversation, a two-member team representing the ‎United Nations (UN) visited the bordering villages of Sialkot in Pakistan to ‎take a survey of the human and financial loss incurred due to bombardment by ‎the Indian forces. ‎The UN team also interviewed the affected people in various areas, and ‎reportedly, they stated that their houses were destroyed due to Indian ‎bombardment.

Sirajul Haq meets Ch Nisar, agrees to continue dialogue

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Jamaat Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq on Tuesday speeded up the reconciliation process to deal with the ongoing political crisis in the country as he met with Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jehangir Tareen, Dunya News reported.According to details, the leaders agreed to continue the policy of reconciliation.In a meeting in Islamabad, Chaudhry Nisar and Sirajul Haq met and exchanged views over the ongoing political situation in the country.Both leaders agreed to restore the negotiation process as well.JI chief also met the PTI leader Tareen and appealed to resolve the issues through dialogue.
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